The sunspot group

Date & Time:	May 1 1999, 12:53 JST(+0900)
	Composed 2 images with 1/250sec. exposure
Optical:	TAKAHASHI 12.5cm(4.9") fluorite refractor with Or6mm eyepiece (f=12300mm, F246.0)
	Apertured to D=50mm, with ND400 filter
	Auto-guided with GOTO MX-II Equatorial
Camera:	VIXEN VX-1
Film:	Fujichrome VELVIA
Location:	Ooizumi vil., Yamanashi pref.

This is a close up image of a small scaled sunspot group appeared from the eastern edge of the sun. You can see two regions in big sunspots, the inner dark region is called "umbra", and a bit bright region surrounding the umbra is called "penumbra". And perhaps you can detect the white and dappled pattern is surrounding the whole of sunspot group, this pattern is called "faculae", has a little bit higher temperature than photosphere. The faculae can be observed clearly around the edge of the sun.

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The Sun

Mercury Transit on Nov 9, 2006

		Copyright(c) 1999 by Naoyuki Kurita, All rights reserved.
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